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@uiten gieten @anni @fitta BENJAMlN K. DORWART, OF LANCASTER,PENNSYLVANIA, AND WASHlNG- TON J. EINES. 0F FREDERICK, MARYLAND,4

Letters Patent No. 69,191, dated September 24, 1857.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN K. DoRwAnr, ot' Lancaster, in the State ofPennsylvania, and Wasnmc'ron J. HINES, of Frederick, in the State ofMaryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement on a Portable Fieldand Flood Fence; and we do hereby declare that the following is a fulland clear description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making apart of, this specification, in which-4Figure shows three panels ot' this fence with the corner-braces inplace.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brace and wedge.

Figure 8 shows the same in position on the two posts.

The nature oi" our invention consists in providing a notched brace witha key, so constructed as to more cffectu-ally embrace the adjoiningposts, the key or wedge in the sanne binding directly on the posts,locking the two panels rmly together in every direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, it isonly necessary to say that the posts Por ends of each panel are a pieceof the rails usually employed, ot the requisite length. To those therails are nailed, say live in number, so that the ends of each rail willbe at one end on one side of the post or vertical piece l?, and theirother ends on the opposite side of the other post, as shown. These areset up so that in each angle the rails on the posts ofthe adjoiningpanels come on the same side, thus alternating. The brace-board A, withits notches e, is then applied on top of the second rail above, and oneon the top of the under rail, so thatthe arm C or cross-piece, with itsslot S, enters between the two adjoining posts P on the side of theposts opposite the side where the rails are nailed on, so that notches aof the brace-board A will embrace the post P, (tig. 3,) and a wedge orkey, W, driven through the open slot S in the cross-arm C, which wedgewill also come in contact with a corner of each post, thus irmlyembracing the posts between the notches and key. The two posts of eachadjoining panel will be separated the thickness of the cross-piece C,which will by so much save'inaterial by lengthening the panel that muchwithout detriment.

This simple and efficient brace and wedge or key we believe to be novel,and for a ilood fence the lower or both braces may be removed at .theilooding point, and for a gate or opening both may be readily removedand the panels separated. In short, for. simplicity and elicieney it isfound superior to the use of along brace straight, 0r with alongparallel open notch and the use of a pin on each end, which brace isalso applied so that the pins come inside of the rails at some distancefrom the posts, and only bracing the fence in one direction whenextended outwards till the pins bind, affording no support when thepanel is pushed inwardly by heavy winds or otherwise. Such a brace we donot claim. i

We are aware that other devices are employed for joining panels, but weare not aware that any has ever been in use which so fully embraced bothposts in substantially the saine manner.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The brace-board A, with its notches a a cut out in the manner shown,with its attached central cross-piece C slotted, in combination with thewedge or key W', arranged in all its parts and applied in the manner andfor the purpose specified.

BENJ. K. DORWART,

WASHTNGTON J. HINES.

Witnesses:

Win. WILEY, JACOB Smarrita.

